The present invention relates to a transportable applicator system intended in particular for applying a composition on a localized surface element. More particularly, the present invention relates to an application system that is discardable after a few uses.
An intended field of application lies particularly but not exclusively in the field of makeup.
Devices are known that are constituted by a rod having a cap-forming handle at one end and having an applicator at its other end, said applicator being insertable into a cylindrical container whose edges co-operate with said cap-forming handle so as to hold said applicator in the composition and so as to close the container hermetically. This hermetic sealing characteristic is essential in order to avoid the solvent of the composition evaporating, and for this purpose, the cap-forming handle screws onto the cylindrical container.
Thus, after unscrewing the cap-forming handle of the cylindrical container, the user withdraws the applicator impregnated in composition to apply it to the desired location.
Nevertheless some applications, e.g. in cosmetics, require a large number of product samples to be prepared in order to carry out tests or to promote said products. The conventional way of making a container combined with a cap that closes it hermetically is relatively expensive, given the function of samples which are intended to contain only a small quantity of the composition to be applied.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a system for applying a cosmetic composition, the system containing a small volume of said composition hermetically stored in the system and being inexpensive to make.
To achieve this object, the invention provides a transportable applicator system for use in particular in applying a composition on a localized surface element, the system comprising a main body extended by a rod handle and a receptacle in which said main body is suitable for being inserted, the system being characterized in that it comprises:
a puncturable container containing said composition and held in said receptacle;
applicator means for applying said composition and secured to the end of said main body; and
puncturing means for puncturing said container when the main body is forced into said receptacle so as to puncture said puncturable container, whereby said applicator means are suitable for being impregnated with said composition.
Thus, the composition to be applied is contained in a container that can be perforated. Standard containers of that type can contain a wide variety of compositions in small quantity and they are perfectly hermetic. Furthermore, they present the advantage of being easily perforated to release the composition they contain.
It will be understood that the container is inserted in a receptacle having the shape of a prior art cylindrical container but there is no longer any need for the receptacle to be closed hermetically by a cap-forming applicator element since the puncturable container is itself hermetically sealed. Thus, the cost of making such a receptacle is lower than the cost of making such a conventional cylindrical container.
In order to apply the composition, the system has applicator means at the end of the main body which is suitable for being engaged in the receptacle. The system also has means for puncturing the container in order to impregnate the applicator means, and said means are operated by forcing the main body into the receptacle.
Preferably, the applicator system further comprises deformable connection means suitable for holding said main body in said receptacle and for guiding it when the main body is forced into said receptacle to puncture said tank and bring said applicator means into the vicinity of said punctured container.
This characteristic makes it possible to secure the main body to the receptacle without there being any need to implement a screw system, and is therefore relatively less expensive, the main body and the receptacle being suitable for being molded out of plastics material.
In a preferred embodiment, the means for puncturing said puncturable container are situated close to said container so as to be driven against said container in order to puncture it when said main body bearing against said puncturing means is forced into said receptacle.
As explained in greater detail below, in this preferred embodiment, the means for puncturing the container are situated between the container and the main body when it is inserted into the receptacle. Thus, when the main body is pushed into the receptacle, it drives the puncturing means which compress the surface of the container in order to puncture it.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the applicator system further comprises an element for transferring said composition situated between said puncturable container and said applicator means and suitable for transferring said composition by capillarity from the punctured container to said applicator means.
This characteristic enables the composition contained in the puncturable container to be spread uniformly over the applicator means once the container has been punctured.
According to an advantageous characteristic, the deformable connection means comprise breakable fixing means suitable for being broken by forcing said main body into said receptacle, whereby said main body is held in a fixed position in said receptacle.
This advantageous characteristic makes it possible to fix the main body temporarily in the receptacle prior to using the system. Thus, it is only when the main body is pushed into the receptacle to puncture the container that the breakable fixing means are broken. This characteristic also makes it possible to ensure that the container has not previously been punctured.
In another advantageous characteristic, the means for puncturing said puncturable container are constituted by a sleeve suitable for sliding in said receptacle, said sleeve having grid-forming means at one of its ends, and being placed in such a manner that the end having said grid-forming means is situated facing said puncturable container, and said main body is suitable for bearing against the other of said ends of said sleeve, said applicator means penetrating at least partially into said sleeve.
Thus, the puncturable container is initially inserted into the bottom of the receptacle and then the sleeve is slid into the receptacle so that the grid-forming means come close to the container. It will be understood that the diameter of the container is perceptibly smaller than the diameter of the receptacle and that the sleeve is of a diameter that is substantially equal to that of the container. As a result, the main body which is held against the sleeve can drive it in such a manner that the grid-forming means puncture the container.
Advantageously, the transfer means are constituted by a foam element housed in said sleeve in such a manner that said foam element comes into contact with the applicator means and with said composition, which composition passes through said grid-forming means when said puncturable container is punctured.
It will be understood that the foam element housed in the sleeve is in contact with the applicator means since it penetrates at least in part into said sleeve. When the main body is pushed into the receptacle, it bears against the edge of the sleeve and causes the grid-forming means to press against the container which perforates it once it has been pushed in far enough. Since the applicator means are in contact with the foam element and the composition migrates into said foam element through the grid-forming means, the applicator means are impregnated with the composition contained in the container.
In a particular embodiment of the invention, the applicator means and said means for puncturing said container are constituted by a single part. Thus, by appropriately selecting the nature of the applicator means and in particular their hardness, they are suitable for puncturing the container directly by pushing the main body into the receptacle.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for puncturing said container are connected to said receptacle by said deformable connection means. Thus, when the main body is driven in translation freely relative to the receptacle, it drives the puncturing means by deforming the deformable connection means.
Advantageously, said puncturable container is constituted by a breakable closed capsule containing said composition. As a result, the container can be mass produced and can be inserted into the applicator system during assembly thereof.
Preferably, said puncturable container is formed by said receptacle being closed between the end wall of said receptacle and its open end by a breakable membrane, said composition being contained between said end wall and said membrane. Thus, the inside wall of the container constitutes a significant fraction of the wall of the container and is not itself puncturable. The puncturable portion is constituted by a breakable membrane held hermetically against the inside wall of the receptacle and holding the composition captive in the end of the receptacle.
According to a particular advantageous characteristic, said main body has a first portion presenting said applicator means, and a removable second portion comprising said rod. Thus, the second portion is itself suitable for being connected or disconnected relative to the first portion.
Preferably, said first portion of said main body comprising said applicator means is secured to said puncturing means. As a result, when the puncturing means are connected to the receptacle, the first portion of the main body is secured to the receptacle, the second portion comprising the rod being capable of being assembled to the first portion.
In a second aspect, the present invention provides a transportable applicator kit comprising a plurality of transportable applicator systems, each of said receptacles containing a composition, each receptacle having means for puncturing said container and a first portion of said main body provided with said applicator means; and said second portion comprising said handle is suitable for being mounted on the first portions fitted with said applicator means in order to puncture said puncturable container and impregnate them with the composition. Thus, the second proton of the main body extended by the rod is removable and a single second portion suffices for applying the various compositions contained in the plurality of transportable applicator systems.